


The Depth of Love

by Fortheloveofneps



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Dubious Morality, Fighting, Gen, Gods, Hurt No Comfort, I warned ya, Whump, greek tragedy - Freeform, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:40:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27492070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fortheloveofneps/pseuds/Fortheloveofneps
Summary: The gods send young children to Fight against the demon upon the mountain. More and more go, never to return. And the gods keep sending more children. But it's not the demon who is evil.





	The Depth of Love

  
The coals of the fire burned hot in the cold breeze. Flags billowed and snapped in the air, the get clouds over head painting the scene in an monochrome look. Up the steps desended the going girl, the stone shaped path crunching under her boot, her eyes worried as she kept walking. Her face still carried the soft weight of her childhood, everything about her young. She gripped her sword, given to her by the gods themselves to slay the heritaic king who defied their decrees. It was quiet, the only comfort of sound the girl having being the whistle of the wind and the crow of the birds overhead. She knew what a vulture looked like, having seen it eat the innards of a defying drunkard to the Gods in town. She recalled the look in the dead man's eyes and the hungry, cold gleam in the vulture's. But the birds overhead were not vulture. 

She felt her chest beat harder in her chest, the sound echoing in her armor as if it was bouncing within it's metal confines like a ball throw in a milk jug. She squeezed her sword and then set her helmet down as she finally reached the last step. The entire space was empty, save a single altar, and of course the top of the mountain, the entire thing held up by carved collums scattered across the room. If it could be called a room, the sides open and wide. The entire thing was visible from every angle, save the ones from behind the collums. Hiding in plain sight, she was told the Non Believer would be. 

She swallowed. "Come out! I am here to remove your herecy from this place!" She called and lifted her sword high, shaking as she stepped forward. So many kids before had never returned. So many had never come back to their families. But she had her Papa to go back to. And her mom. She couldn't fail. She had to much riding on this. On her. She slowly spun before she heard a low chuckle. 

"You're the youngest yet. How old are you?" Came a low, sultry voice. She spun rapidly trying to find it's source before she stopped and pointed her sword at a collum, as she saw a foot hold out. Slowly, a form stepped out from behind it. Sharp horns curved from the man's temples, arching toward the sky and then back down. His skin was pale, and lips a griendent ruby red. He smiled a bit, The girl swallowing as he looked at the little freckles on his face, one beside his upper lip and one on his cheek. She never expected a demon to have freckles. 

"I may only be 13, but I am old enough to defend myself and my family from you! The gods are asking for your head, and I will provide that to them!" She stated, rushing forward and making a large slash across him. But the sword was so heavy, and she stumbled forward as it missed. The man barely moved out of the way, only watching as she mad enaotheg slash. She could see she was going to fail now, everything she was doing was wrong, and he saw every move perfectly. She grew afraid. She didn't want to die. She wanted to go home! Her mom, her soon to be little brother, and most of all, her dad. She wanted to see her father. 

She fell to her knees after missing again, gasping and shaking as the tears fell down her cheeks like glittering diamonds. She panted a bit before a gasp slipped from her lips as the helmet on her head was lifted away. Her eyes slid up the man's form, finally taking in what he looked like. His clothes were simple, a basic black brocade tunic to the floor. He was entirely defnesless. His entire nexk wax exposed, and his hair was pulled aside to stay out of his face and eyes. And his face and eyes were so expressive, the saddened pity on them as they looked down upon the girl, as if she was the one to be saved instead of him. Like it was the gods looking down upon her. She parted her lips, gasping a bit before shaking in her metal armor. 

"You know, you never gave me a name. It's not polite to not give a name." He said, his hand gently reaching out to cup one of her cheeks and then gently lace her hair back into her braids. He chuckled, his sharp black nails not ever scratching her skin. "I am Baekhyun… and I am sorry the gods decided to sacrifice you. But I won't kill you. Or hurt you. It's against my morality. You are a child…"

"Why?" She asked, but it was loaded with far more than just that one word. Why me, why you, why this, why now, just why? It all was held in that single whisper as the demon looked sad and tilted his head. 

"The gods gave you powers and weapons. Because if you were given them as an adult, that world they created to torture and hurt people would make any adult hero they made into a villain. Children are innocent, and things are easier. It's not that you're not smart, but you know knotjimg of the world that has been grown aeojsn you." He said softly before he gently rubbed his thumbs across the young girl's temple. "How do you go about defining good, and evil? I'm only using what the gods gave me… And Sending actually children to their possible death is not good. Letting millions starve to service the richest worshipper is not good. I saw their corruption, and I saw how they took advantage of humanity. And after being their champion for 300 years, I saw I couldn't stand by and watch any more people die…"

The girl stayed silent, the words spoken hitting her like boulders. The knowlege that things were the way they were… it hurt. "But no one came home?" 

"They couldn't face their families with failure… and they couldn't face letting their family take the brunt of their failure from the gods. Half have thrown themselves from my cliffs. The rest I have taken in… But you are so young. You are but a child. You have so much life… I beg you now, do not kill yourself upon my rocks. Even my ravens would cry for your corpse." 

"They were…. Ravens?" The girl asked, both so numb and feeling too much at once. Baekhyun smiled and nodded before he leaned down, placing a docile kiss to her head, unbuckinh her chest plate. Her hands shook as he gently lifted her hands, slowly pulling off each piece of armor with the gentleness she only saw in her father. A love of someone for the sake of seeing them happy. She felt so confused as her armor fell away and body was lifted. Her armor was stripped away, and the young, mousy girl stood before bakehyun with a confused and sad expression. 

"S….Sir Baekhyun… what will happen of my family?" She asked softly with a confused and frightened expression. He smiled softly. 

"If you stay, they will assume you're dead. And you will taken care of. If you kill yourself, I will bring your body to the end of my mountain and lay your body out for your family to properly prepare it. Or you can return, a failure and a pariah in your home after being their hero." He whispered softly. She whimpered softly, shaking a bit before she looked at.her hands. 

"I'd like some time to think." She whispered. Baekhyun only smiled and nodded.

Perhaps she should have left earlier. She spent a week, netting the other children who stayed, and now lived on the Heritics mount with Bakehyun. She learned of his deticwtionnto the gods who cared little to save the humans, and only craved their praise. It was painful, and she struggled. She did not want to die, but she didn't know if she could truly make her family suffer because of her. But she missed her mom, and her warm and loving arms. She missed her father too, his grateful and loving hands. What could she do? 

There was a bright flash, and a sound of shattering thunder. She stood up, her eyes wide at the noise in the dark clouds above. It was at the altar, where Baekhyun spent most of his days repenting. She quickly ran up the steps, despite the other kids telling her to stay back. Something drew her there, and demanded she be there. She stepped into the platform, seeing shattered collums scattered across the floor, Baekhyun at his full height with a long black scythe made of his own magic, facing off with a man in a long black cloak of tattered rags. His face was covered in a long, curbing mask like a bird, the dark energy off him spinning and spiraling off his form like milk in coffee. He spun his hallberd and stood up straight, the long weapon crossing his form before he lept forward again, knocking against Bakehyun as the man grunted. 

"You know they're using you!" Baekhyun cried.

"I know." Responded the man, his voice dissorted.

"They will continue to take from you!" 

"I know."

"They will never be satisfied!" Baekhyun yelled, spinning his long scythe up, catching the mask and ripping it off the man's face. His head flicked back before it fell forward again, drawing a gasp from the girl.

"Papa?!" She called out. The man, her father, spared her a glance, his eyes sad before they focused back on Baekhyun as he laughed weakly, brokenly.

"Jongdae. Of course. My friend and companion. Of course she would be your child. A heart of gold and shining hope."

"Shut up already." He said as he spun and slashed up Bakehyun's side. But baekhyun didn't resist this time, and took the hit. The girl gasped and yelled.

"Daddy no! He doesn't want to hurt anybody!"

"I know." Jongdae responded as he spun and then slashed across Baekhyun's chest, a blooming flower of blood spilling from his chest. Baekhyun coughed and spat out blood as he shook, his face wet with tears and blood now. 

"Then why are you doing this?!" The girl screamed. Jongdae have her one last glance, a canvas of so many emotions on his face before he pushed forward, kicking baekhyun to his back before raising his hallberd above his head. 

"Because I am here for my daughter." He said softly before he drove the spike directly though Baekhyun's heart. The demon gasped for air, shaking as he gurgled for a moment before his tear stained eyes curbed up and he smiled softly, pity in his eyes as he slowly fell back and went still. The girl sobbed, the man she had grown close to int he past week lie dead, and by her father's hands. 

Jongdae let hot of the hallberd buried in Baekhyun's chest before he walked over, slowly wrapping his arms around his daughter. She shook, the arms that once felt warm and safe that she missed so much were now hard, and stained with blood. She whimpered as he spoke softly in her ear. 

"I will gladly become the villain so long as you are safe. So long as you are happy. So long as you survive." 

**Author's Note:**

> This is Mousie's fault. Also sorry not sorry.


End file.
